Justice News

KCK Man Pleads Guilty to Airport Bomb Hoax

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Tammy Dickinson, United States Attorney for the Western District of Missouri, announced that a Kansas City, Kan., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to conveying false information as part of a bomb hoax at Kansas City International Airport in August 2014.

David James Cain, 35, of Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief District Judge Greg Kays to one count of conveying false information.

At approximately 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 31, 2014, Cain parked the truck he was driving in front of Terminal B at Kansas City International Airport. The truck remained parked along the curb in front of the terminal for approximately one hour. A KCI traffic control officer had the truck ticketed, and announcements were made over the loud speaker inside the terminal that the owner of truck needed to report or the truck would be towed.

After approximately one hour, Cain approached the Southwest Airlines ticket counter and told a ticket agent that there was a bomb in the truck. Cain repeated that there was a bomb in the truck, and then twice told the ticket agent’s supervisor the same thing. The customer service supervisor contacted law enforcement. The KCPD Bomb Squad and an FBI bomb technician searched the truck, and no bomb or explosive material was located.

As a result of Cain’s false statements, KCI evacuated and closed Terminal B for approximately two hours. Shutting down the terminal caused significant flight delays throughout the rest of the day.

If the terms of today’s plea agreement are accepted by the court at the sentencing hearing, Cain will be sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Casey. It was investigated by the FBI and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.